Boltless rail-joint.



C. ENGELLAND...

BOLTLESS RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATIQN EILED JULY 31.1911.

C. ENGELLAND.

BOLATYLESS RAIL JOINT. AVPPLIcATlon man :uw 3 1. |917.

mmm web. 5, ma.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 2 mmf/2a Ull u@ w eser avessi-ire coni* CHARLES ENGELLAND, OF TAMPA, FLORIDA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T EDWARD Application led July 31, 1917.

To el? whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, CHARLES ENonLLANn,

' a citizen of the United States, residing at Tampa, in the county ot` Hillsborough and tltate ot Florida, have invented certain new and useful mprovements in Boltless Rail- J ointS, ot' which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in scart-joints, and has for its primary object the provision ot a scarf-joint structure particulz'irly adapted tor use as a rail joint although I do not wish to in any way limit myself to such use as it may he employed with good results in carpentry, ship building and in steel structures.

(lne ot the objects of my present invention consists in providing a scarf-joint structure Jfor rail joints which will do away with the use of fish plates, chair plates, bolts and other 'fastening means now commonly em ployed in rail joints. j

Another object which l have in view is the construction of an interlocking scarfjoint in which a single key, generally in the form of a spike serves to secure the joint and also to anchor the jointed rail ends to a supporting cross-tie.

A still further obj ect of my invention consists in the provision ot a joint and key for locking the joint, ot such acharacter that a key ot one size may be employed to lock the joint and still leave a certain amount of play 'to allow for expansion and contraction of the members locked or in which ay key 0f somewhat larger size may be employed to absolutely prevent any play between the parts joined.

Vlith these and other objects in View, my invention will be more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and then specifically pointed out in the claims which are attached to and form a part of this application.

ln the drawings:

Figure l is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating my improved scarf-joint as a connecting means between adjacent rail ends, showing the spiking and keying element which serves to secure the rail ends together and to the cross tie;

Fig. Q is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken on the line 2#2 of Fig. l, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of a rail end SINGLETON, OF TAMPA, FLORIDA.

BOLTLESS RAIL-JOINT.

Patented Feb.. 5, Serial No. 183,697.

constructed in accordance with my present invention, a spiking and keying element being also shown in this view;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the use ol my improved scarfjoint in structural steel work;

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. l;

Fig. G is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views ot' the drawings by the same reference charaet ers.

ln order to insure a clear and accurate uiulerstanding ot my scart-joint structure l have disclosed it in connection with a pair of rails l() and ll which are connected by the joint. and which are supported upon a cross tie 1Q, other cross ties, not shown, of course supporting more remote portions off the rails.

In constructing rails to be joined by my improved. joint the rails for a suitable distance at their ends have their web portions 13 offset, as shown at ll. to provide abutting inner faces l5, nearly in the plane of the opposite faces of the remaining portions of the webs. which will engage cach other when the rails are placed end to end with such portions overlapping. The heads ltl and tlanges 1T ot the rails for a short distance at the ends and at the same side as these abutting tacos are cut-away to provide upper and lower locking shoulders 18 and 19 respectively. projecting beyond the abutting taces with their outer bearing t'aces in substantially the plane ot the faces ot thc webs proper ot the rails at the same side. The ends ot these shoulders are extended beyond the ends ot the rails to provide upper and lower locking tongues 90 and 2l respectively.

Longitudinally extending rectangular slots 22 and Q3 are tormed in the heads and bases oi the rails just inside ot these shoul ders and of greater length than the shoulders but Of the same depth and width. and the heads and flanges ot the rail ends at the same side as the shoulders are cut-away to a point near the inner ends ot the .lots whereby the slots. save at their inner ends, are opened out into the overlapping laces of the rail ends so that the upper and lower shoulders 2O and 2l of one rail end may engage in the upper and lower slots or seats 32 and 22S of the other rail end with the lower and upper faces of the shoulders 1S and 19 respectively, engaging the bases of the upper and lower slots or seats.

The tongues 2O and 21 are so proportioned that under such circumstances when the end face of the uncut-away side of the head of one rail engages against the end face of the cut-away side of the head of the other rail, as shown in Fig. 1. the ends of the tongues will engage the inner ends of the slots or seats. Obviously, inasmuch as the slots or seats are of greater length than the locking shoulders the rail ends may be brought into overlapping engagement with the shoulders seating in the outer ends of the seats after which one rail may be moved longitudinally toward the other to bring the shoulders into the endg of the seats, as shown in Fig. 1, when the joint will be assembled.

lVhen so assembled the bearing faces of the shoulders IS and 19 of each rail end engage 4the inner l'aees of the seats 22 and 23 respectively, of thc other rail end, and the abutting faces 15 of the rail ends engage each other. The lower and upper faces of the shoulders 18 and 19 respectively engaging against the bases of the seats hold the rail ends against independent vertical movement while the tongues 20 and 21 engaging in the inner or closed ends of the seats or slots 22 and 225 respectively, hold.the rail ends in alineinent.

The abutting inner faces 15 of the rail ends are formed with vertical channels 2l at the inner ends of the shoulders 18 and 19, which open into the outer ends of the upper and lower slots or seats 22 and 23. lll/'hen the joint is assembled the spaces between the outer ends of the seats and inner ends of the shoulders and these channels alined with each other provide a vertical key or spike receiving opening 25 extending completely through the interlocking rail ends so that a key in the form of a spike 26 may be passed through the opening and driven into the cross tie 12 to lock'the rails to the tie and against longitudinal movement away from each other.

Preferably thejopening thus formed is rectangular in cross section to receive a correspondingly shaped spike and the shank of the spike 26 should be somewhat narrower than the length of the opening to permit some play in the joint and so allow for expansion and contraction of the rails under changes in temperature. The spike preferably has a somewhat tapering chisel point '2T and the portion ofthe spike which to engage. in the tic may be formed with barbsl 29. Also the spike at the end opposite its point is formed at its side edgesV witl projecting head forming shoulders 29,

the under faces of which are inclined as shown. The outer end Walls of the slots 22 are cut-away as shown at 30, to provide seats for the head 31 formed by the shoulders 29 so that the spike may be countersunk in the joint, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

Obviously, with rails formed in this mannera track may be rapidly laid as practically no time is consumed in joining the ends of adjacent rails. Furthermore, the cost of laying the track is materially decreased due to the fact that no bolts, nuts, fish-plates, chair-plates and the like are necessary.- Because of the engagement of the edges of the shoulders with the bases of the seats and because of the further fact that portions of the Hanges or bases of both rails engage the same tie all pounding ot' the joint is prevented. Inasmuch as the anchoring key or spike is passed through the heads of the joined rail sections it will be clear that any tendency which it might have to work loose will be overcome due to the passage of wheels along the rails.

An inspection of the drawings will disclose the fact that this joint is also adapted for use in carpentry. ship building and steel construction. For instance. in Figs. 4. 5 and (i I have illustrated the use of my improved joint, there indicated as a whole by the numeral 32, as a means for connecting abutting en'ds of I-beam sections 33 and 534. rl`he construction of the joint is identical with that previously described but the locking key has its` free end threaded as shown at 3G to receive a nut 37. Furthermore, the shank of this key is proportioned to fit snugly in its opening so as to prevent any independent movement of the parts.

Particular attention is directed to the fact that the construction of all the rail ends is identical so that vthere is no ditliculty in assembling the rails. Furthermore, this duplicate construction greatly decreases the cost of manufacture as less machinery and less diversity of labor is required.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In a scarf-joint, a pair of members to be joined each formed at the 4end with spaced shoulders and tongues and with corresponding seats having extensions whereby when the members are assembled with their ends overlapping the shoulders and tongues of each member will lockingly engage in the seats and their extensions of the other member, the overlapping faces of the memthe membersare assembled with their ends overlapping theshoulders .and tongues of each member will lockingly engage in the seats -and their extensions of the other member, the overlapping faces of the members being formed with channels which aline to provide an opening, and a vkey passed through the opening to secure the members against displacement, the shoulders, tongues and seats and their extensions of one member being counterparts of those of the other member. y

3. In a scarf-joint, a pair of members to be joined'each formed at the end with up` per and lower shoulders and with tongues projecting beyond the ends and forming continuatlons of such shoulders and with seats adjacent the inner ends of the tongues,

a portion of the seats being open whereby When the members are placed with their ends overlapping the shoulders and tongues of each member may be engaged in the seats of the other member and moved to bring the projecting tongues into the unopened portionsof the seats whereby the tongues j hold the members against swinging movement and engagement of the shoulders against the bases of the seats holds the members against independentl vertical movement, the overlapping' end portions of themembers being formed With channels adapted to aline when the members are assembled and a key insertible in the alined channels to -hold the members against movement away from each other.

4.. In a rail joint, rail ends each having its web portion Anear its end odset and its head and flange portion cut-away to provide shoulders projecting beyond the inner faces of the offset portions of the webs at the free ends of the rail-sections and to fur ther' provide tongues projecting beyond Vportions and having their head and flange portions further cut-away whereby the slots save at their inner ends, open out through the inner faces of the rail sections to provide seats, the forming of the end portions of the rail sections being such that the shoulders of each section will engage in the seats of the other section with the' tongues engaging in the unopened ends of the seats, and aspiking and keying element passed into an opening provided by channeling the overlapping faces of the rail sections adjacent the shoulders whereby the opening alines with the outer ends of the seats beyond the inner ends of the shoulders, the head of the element being counter-sunk in the head portion of the rail sections forining the joint.

5. Ina ra1l joint, a pair of rail sections to be joined each formed at the end with spaced shoulders and tongues and with corresponding seats having extensions whereby the ends of the rail sections may be overlapped to seat the shoulders and tongues of one in the seats and extensions of the other, the engaging faces of the rail sections when so assembled being formed with channels which aline, and a spike fitting loosely in the alined channels to act as a key to secure the rail sections together, the spike being adapted to be driven into a supporting cross tie.

Inl testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CHAS. ENGELLAND. [L s] 

